


Yesterday's Men

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-18
Updated: 2009-02-18
Packaged: 2019-02-02 06:12:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12721140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: Dante ends his days on a nice peaceful planet. Or does he?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

I'm sure Osiris had meant to kill me with the ribbon device. He hadn't managed it. Perhaps it was something to do with his host, because I was alive when I woke up. 

I'd survived a whole lot more torture, and I woke relieved to see that I was safe in the company of my "wife" Nephthys and her host Tea. 

It's all very complicated. Osiris had apparently misused my body in horrible ways. It hadn't just been my fingers that were broken when they found me. 

Osiris had sent a message through to the SGC and informed them that he'd like to show them what happened to those who were disobedient. When they got to the planet, being cautious as always, SG-1 discovered my broken body tied to a stake near the Stargate. And Sarrazan, my erstwhile symbiote, was nailed to it with me. 

He was well and truly dead. 

Dr Fraiser had fixed up what she could, but I'd been "healing" for a while and a lot of my bones were happy in their slightly distorted positions. My fingers were the main problem. When I woke up I could only move my thumb and first finger properly. Of course, that meant I could still grasp things, but it limited what I could do. It made my handwriting even more illegible for a start. 

When the Tok'ra had started asking questions SG-1 had escorted me back to my own planet with Nephthys. At that point I wasn't actually conscious. I only woke up when I was back on the planet with my wife. 

I hope this makes sense. Parts of it are slightly vague, what with not actually being able to remember what happened. I only have Nephthys' word for a lot of it. 

Anyway, when I woke up, I found I was back on Seth's planet. Once I'd established what my body could do, and what it couldn't, I wanted only one thing: revenge. I wanted revenge for what Osiris had done to me, and I wanted revenge for Sarrazan's death. 

Nephthys wasn't happy about what I wanted to do. She was still learning about the "sharing body" thing that the Tok'ra are so keen on. And she had the new baby to look after. She insisted that anything I did could only make things worse. I didn't want to listen to her, but she was probably right. 

After a while I took to moping around near the planet's Stargate. Part of me wanted to just leap randomly from planet to planet until I found the evil Goa'uld. Part of me said that was a stupid thing to do. 

One day, I was standing by the Stargate and it activated. I hid, just in case it was someone unpleasant. 

To my surprise, it was someone I'd never expected to come through the 'gate. It was the person who I'd wanted so desperately to find, and kill horribly. It was Osiris. I was so surprised that I stood up. 

"Dante," she said. 

"Osiris?" I asked. 

"You wanted to find me," she said. "I have come to show you that that would be a foolish thing to do." 

"Maybe," I said, "But it would make me feel a whole lot better." 

"And what will happen to the child if I kill you?" she asked. 

I launched myself at her, and hit her over and over again with my disfigured hands. I tried to get a grip round her neck. Then she laughed, and with one push I ended up sprawled on the floor. 

She raised the ribbon device and once more she captured me in its glow. 

And then I woke up. Everything that I thought had happened must have been a dream. This time I was in the SGC. Dr Fraiser was bending over me. 

"Dante!" she said, grinning at me. 

I grinned back. I was confused. 

"We have some bad news," said O'Neill. "Sarrazan is dead. And you may never play the piano again." 

I found it annoying that he was so flippant when he was telling me something so awful. The other members of SG-1 just stood there, looking at me. 

Then Osiris walked in. I didn't know what to do. She advanced towards me, and SG-1 just stood there. 

"No!" I said. 

"It's okay," said Jackson. "It's Sarah. She's an old friend of mine." 

I was afraid. I knew that I wouldn't be able to defeat Osiris in a fair fight. I was stupid to think I could successfully pull off some sort of a revenge thing. 

"What do I do now?" I muttered to myself. 

"Dante," said Osiris, or Sarah, whoever she was, "Osiris will find the child." 

"Maybe," I conceded. 

"You must go somewhere he will never be found. He must fulfil his destiny." 

I wanted to ask her more questions. This was all extremely bizarre. But before I could ask anything, she raised the ribbon device she was wearing and started to drain my brain. I reached out to Janet, but she ignored me. She let it happen. 

And then I woke up. Again. This time I on Seth's planet, in my home from home. And things happened mostly like they had the first time I'd woken up. Nephthys explained what had happened, and I started thinking about what had happened the previous two times I'd woken up. 

Clearly none of it had happened. Was what was happening now really happening? Had Osiris' host sent some sort of message through the ribbon device so that I wouldn't throw my life away on some stupid revenge attempt? It was possible. I didn't like to presume I was that important, but it was possible. 

I spent hours talking with Nephthys, and helping take care of the boy, although I was quite hopeless at being a father. 

"The Tok'ra want the child", said Nephthys. 

"Well, I think we'll have to go elsewhere," I said. "I had these... dreams. We can't stay here. But I don't know where to go." 

Nephthys dipped her head, and Tea took over. 

"I think I have an idea," she said. "I have a feeling we should go this planet..." 

She wrote the glyphs down on a piece of paper and handed them to me. 

"What's on this planet?" I asked. 

"I don't know. But we must go there. And then we must use the Stargate at exactly the right time, and we will be sent into the past." 

This sounded ridiculous. Perhaps this was another dream. Any minute now Osiris would walk in and kill me again. But then I remembered. When I'd been spending a lot of time with Teal'c, he'd told me about their trip back in time to 1969. That had been an accident, but perhaps it would be possible to engineer something. 

"It might work," I admitted. "And they wouldn't look for the boy in the past." 

"No," she said. 

Part of me still thought all this waffle about knowing the future was insane, but at this point we didn't have many other leads. We didn't have ANY leads. So it was as good a plan as any. 

"Do you know when we should go?" I asked. 

"I think we have to go soon," she said. "There are... bursts of energy... of some sort. They affect the travel between Stargates. I do not understand how it works, but we must go soon so as to be ready." 

And so we did.


	2. Chapter 2

Before we left, we had one important thing to do. For a couple of weeks now he'd been nameless, but we had to name our son. Otherwise he'd grow up with an identity crisis or something. 

Choosing names is one of the hardest things. Ideally it ought to be a name that would blend in with different cultures without sounding too strange. I went through quite a few, but Tea put an end to my pleas that the child be called Bono, Suggs or Angus MacGyver. 

In the end we settled for Noah, which apparently sounds like the Hebrew for "comfort", and was nothing at all to do with "ER". We only had to look at him and we were comforted. He was worth anything we would have to go though. He was our son. 

And so we left the relative safety of Seth's planet and set off into the unknown. We left all the Goa'uld technology behind, knowing that anything we took would only serve to incriminate us. The whole purpose of the exercise was to start a new life where we wouldn't be recognised. It was all or nothing. 

We 'gated to the planet whose designation Tea had seen in her vision. The Stargate emerged into a huge pyramid. I'll be the first to admit I'm no Egyptologist, but it looked like a replica of the Great Pyramid at Giza. We waited there for a while, until Tea said it was time. Unquestioningly, I dialled up the planet she indicated, and we stepped through the 'gate once more. And stepped out into the pyramid again. Things looked almost exactly the same. It was hard to tell if we'd travelled in time, especially when it had looked like Ancient Egypt to start with! I would just have to take Tea's word for it. 

"Oh boy," I said, feeling that I had so say something to mark the occasion. 

Emerging into the sunlight, all we could see was desert. We walked, and walked, and eventually we came to a huge walled city. Its walls were a forbidding grey, and towered above the golden sand. Luckily, the doors were open, and we were welcomed as travellers from afar. They never suspected we'd come through the Stargate, which probably meant that no-one ever used it. If the people didn't know about Stargate travel they'd have no option but to believe we'd come from somewhere else on the planet. And that suited Nephthys and I just fine. 

I sold a few of the trinkets I'd brought with me (the non-incriminating trinkets), and we managed to acquire a modest mud brick house. My main problem was that due to my hands being unable to grip anything very well, I couldn't take an active part in the planet's main commercial venture, mining. I would have fallen off of a ladder before you could say, well, you know what I mean. 

That was when I had a fantastic idea. I bought some of the strange creatures that were both ridden and used to carry things, and I became pretty good at looking after them and making sure they multiplied. I'm sure that didn't come from me, it must have been Sarrazan. Sometimes I missed him. But it didn't do to dwell on the past. 

After a few years I was recognised as a wise if fairly eccentric man. My accent was slightly strange, and my wife was hardly ever seen in public, but these were accepted as being part and parcel of my foreign status. My beasts were known to be friendly and hardworking, and I made a profit. I was even able to upgrade my house. Most importantly, from my point of view, the strange things I did in my spare time (like exploring the planet) were overlooked. 

Noah grew at a normal rate, being completely free from nanites, and he was both clever and handsome. I'm not sure where these traits came from. I can only hope I had something to do with at least one of his positive attributes! 

A few times we worried that his Harseisis status would cause him problems, but all in all he seemed to be coping better than I did when I had Seth's knowledge left in my brain. I think he knew what he was. Occasionally he told the other boys things that he probably shouldn't have, but he wasn't evil. 

I've had a while to think about this, and I reckon that what makes him different is that he is a Harseisis borne out of love. Nephthys is someone I still love with all my heart, and Sarrazan was a much better source of DNA than I could ever be. 

When the time comes he might be faced with choices, and we might have to think about moving on, but I hope that time is a long way off. I'm happy here, with my wife and son. I'm happier than I have ever been in my life!


	3. Chapter 3

And that was where the diary ended. Noah, now about 18 years old, shifted the book on his knees and looked up as his mother entered the room. 

Tea was as beautiful as ever. Noah grinned as he considered how people marvelled at her eternal youth. However much she stayed indoors, the rumours grew. And Nephthys was the wisest person that Noah knew, now that his father was dead. All in all, she was the best mother anyone could have, in Noah's opinion, anyway. 

It was the day that Nephthys had designated Noah's birthday, and also the day his father had told her to let him read the diary. There was no longer any use holding anything back from him. His genetic memories were growing stronger day by day, and if the diary didn't help him understand them then nothing would! 

Noah had always looked up to his father, but he had never understood everything he'd been through. He'd seen the scars that marred his father's body, but he hadn't appreciated the pain he'd suffered. However much knowledge had been passed onto him, he'd never truly understood the pain that the Goa'uld were capable of causing. The knowledge he retained was somehow clinical, and not as filled with emotion as his father's rather dramatic writing. Sometimes he had nightmares, but when you read what they'd done to someone you'd loved, it made it much more real. 

The Goa'uld were responsible for his father's early death, too. Dante had died a happy man, but he'd died because of the damage his body had been through over the years. If Seth's servant hadn't ripped through integral parts of his nervous system, or if Apophis hadn't killed him over and over again, or if Osiris' operative hadn't flushed Sarrazan out of his body, or if Osiris hadn't tortured him, perhaps he would have lived longer. As it was, he died rather suddenly one hot day whilst leading some of the four legged creatures he cared for so carefully. He had had no regrets. Expect that perhaps, in the words of O'Neill, he regretted dying. 

Noah took over from his father, and looked after the creatures. He led them to and from the mines with their heavy loads. Sometimes he joined the gang led by the elder's son, and they caused havoc, but people let them get away with it. When he felt in a more pensive mood he revisited the places that his father had shown him, filled with forbidden writings. He begged his mother to tell him stories as they sat there in the evenings. He put his "genetic memory" into context, and slowly he began to realise how different he was to everyone else. 

One day he took one of the more unruly creatures, hoping to teach it some manners, and rode out to the pyramid. Sometimes he ventured inside and looked at the great Stargate. He knew that if he wanted to he could operate it and leave the planet, but he had no reason to leave. One day he dialled up the 'gate just to see the shimmering event horizon, which was more beautiful than he'd ever imagined. Today, he was just riding near it because it gave him something to aim at in the vast desert. 

When he was still a fair distance away, he saw activity at the foot of the ramp. Curious, he dismounted, and shaded his eyes. He squinted, trying to see who was there. It didn't look like they were Goa'uld. They looked like... soldiers. 

Noah let go of the beast's harness and lay on top of the ridge on the hot sand. He heard the creature wander off, snorting and snuffling, but he knew it would stop when it got to the nearest bush. The mastadges had one-track minds. 

Still watching the people, who seemed to be setting up tents, Noah failed to notice that one of the men had approached his mastadge. He pulled himself along on his belly, using Tok'ra tactics without thinking, until he could see the man. To his surprise, he recognised him. He knew he'd never actually met him, but he knew who the man was. 

"It's okay," said the man, offering the beast something to eat. 

The man had certainly realised what the quickest way to the creature's heart was! Noah watched as the mastadge devoured the food. Some of the soldiers walked over to see what was going on. 

"I wouldn't feed that thing," said the man in charge. 

Noah realised that that man looked familiar too. This was the first time Noah was aware of anyone using the Stargate. Even the Goa'uld only came here in ships. He thought about leaving straight away to tell his mother about the men, but he knew he ought to stay and try to recover the mastadge. They were valuable things. It might wander home by itself, or it might eat a few bushes, get confused, and die. Some of them weren't very bright. So he stayed, and watched the people talk. 

"It's got a harness! It's domesticated!" said the first man. 

That was where he made his mistake. He patted the mastadge rather enthusiastically, and it took off. His foot got caught in the harness, and he ended up being dragged behind the creature at very high speed! Noah winced as he saw the man bouncing across the desert. The soldiers ran after the unfortunate man, futilely shouting at him to let go, and Noah was left alone.


	4. Chapter 4

The mastadge would probably either wander back to the mine or to the city. Noah sighed, and brushed the sand off of his clothes. He decided to walk back to Nagada. If the creature ended up at the mine someone would probably bring it back to the city. 

The city streets were quite empty as he walked through them. The narrow streets were dark; the towering buildings shut out the light. It was the lull before the storm - the women were about their daily tasks before the men returned from the mines. Once the men had been sighted the horns would sound and the women would emerge, but until then the city would be relatively peaceful. 

He walked to his house, and sighed when he realised the mastadge hadn't returned. Perhaps it had gone to the mines after all. But he didn't have time to look for the beast. He had to ask his mother about the people who were outside the pyramid. Opening the door, he greeted his mother. She sat in the comparative gloom, carefully mending some of their clothes. 

"Mother," he said, "Men have come through the Stargate." 

"Men?" asked Nephthys, her eyes momentarily glowing. 

"Men," replied Noah. "And I recognised two of them," he added. 

Nephthys thought about what he was saying. She had known they had travelled back to before the SG teams roamed the Stargate network - Ra was still alive. So what business would MEN have travelling to other worlds? 

"What language did they speak?" she asked. 

Noah thought for a moment. It hadn't dawned on him before, but they hadn't spoken the language he'd been brought up to speak. They had spoken the language of his father. 

"I think I know who the men must be," he said. 

Then the horns sounded. The men were returning. And the usual bustle became even more enthusiastic when it was announced that guests were coming! 

"Mother, come and look at the strangers," said Noah. "Tell me if you recognise them." 

Carefully, Nephthys wrapped her shawl around her head, and stepped into the street with her son. Together they walked to where Kasuf was shouting excitedly. Noah gently nudged people out of the way until his mother could see the strangers. She gasped. 

"My son," she said, "It is Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson."


	5. Chapter 5

On Kasuf's command, everyone knelt, and the material covering the symbol hung above the street slowly rose. 

"It's the Eye of Ra," said Jackson. "The Egyptian Sun god. They think he sent us here." 

"Yeah," said O'Neill. Gesturing at Jackson's amulet, he continued sarcastically, "I wonder what gave them that idea." 

The horns sounded again, in warning, for a storm was approaching. Men rushed to shut the huge doors. No-one could go anywhere until the sand had finished lashing the city. 

The people dissipated, gossiping about the newcomers. Some of them would return for the feast later on. Others would rely on the sure to be exaggerated tales that would be relayed to them after the meal. 

Noah was suddenly concerned as he remembered the mastadge. If it was still out there in the desert, it would mostly likely be dead before long. But he would die too, if he ventured outside. He sighed once more, and walked back home with his mother. 

"Noah," she said quietly, "You know how important these men are." 

"Yes," he replied. 

"You must look after them," she said. "They meant a lot to your father." 

"Do you think he knew what this world was?" asked Noah. 

"Perhaps, but the knowledge was never as clear in his mind as it is in yours. You have a special gift," answered Nephthys. "It is the knowledge of the Tok'ra that mixes with that of your father. It gives you unique insights." 

Noah wondered what he could do to help them. And he also wondered why he had to do anything when they'd obviously survived the first time, what with them being alive in the future. Unless, of course, he'd been the reason they'd survived in the first place. Time travel was very confusing. 

When they were within sight of the house, Noah was relieved to see the mastadge standing there, with Skaara holding the wayward beast's harness. 

"Noah!" Skaara shouted, grinning his huge grin. 

"Skaara, you found him!" said Noah, giving Skaara a hearty pat on the back. 

Nephthys kissed Noah gently on the cheek, looked him in the eyes, and went into the house. The two young men kept a respectful silence until she was safely inside. Then Skaara erupted with an excited narrative of the day's events. Suffice it to say that the story ended with the arrival of the strangers in the city and the plans for a meal in their honour. 

"You must come," said Skaara. 

"Your father will not like it," said Noah. 

"He does not have to know," confided Skaara. 

Noah had been told off for misleading the other young people. He'd done lots of things that weren't approved of, such as showing a girl (who he had a particular liking for) the rooms full of hieroglyphs his father had discovered. Few of the alleged misdemeanours had actually been proven, but the suspicion that he was a bad influence was enough to mean he wasn't on any feast guest lists. 

Skaara insisted that Noah join him, so Noah went to the feast and tried to stay out of trouble. He sat close enough to O'Neill and Jackson that he could hear what they were saying. Most of it wasn't very interesting. Some of it, however, was amusing. It made him realise what his father must have been through when he first arrived! 

As Jackson nibbled on some food, one of the soldiers debated whether they should eat anything, what with it being an alien planet. 

"I dunno, they might consider that an insult," said Jackson. 

It was at that point that one of the huge roasted lizards was brought in. 

"Well, we don't want to offend them now, do we Daniel?" said the soldier. 

Noah grinned as he saw Jackson's discomfort. It wasn't because he liked the thought of Jackson being uncomfortable; somehow the situation just made him think of Jackson and all the pickles he tended to get himself into on a regular basis. 

"Tastes like chicken," said Jackson, eating a portion of the meat. "Tastes like chicken. It's good. Tastes..." 

And then he did an impression of a chicken. O'Neill was clearly exasperated with Jackson's antics, and he tried to move the conversation onto more serious things. He wanted to know if Jackson thought the people knew any more Egyptian symbols. 

Thinking that O'Neill's suggestion deserved further investigation, Jackson walked up to Kasuf and drew in the sand. Kasuf grew increasingly agitated. The music ground to a halt. At the elder's command, women arrived to take Jackson away. The gaggle virtually swept him off his feet. 

"They want me to go with them!" shouted Jackson. "Do I stay? I'll go with them." 

And he was gone. Noah felt slightly jealous when he realised that Jackson was about to be given Sha'uri, the woman he'd broken so many rules to impress. He tried to placate himself with the knowledge that Jackson had already ended up with Sha'uri once, and this turn of events was just something that had already happened.


	6. Chapter 6

The party ended. Noah went home and made sure the mastadges were comfortable for the night. He groomed the one that had had so many adventures, and whispered that he was glad the beast had made it home safely. Just as he was finishing, Skaara and the other boys arrived in the courtyard. 

"Look!" said Skaara excitedly. 

Noah stepped out of the stall and looked at the object Skaara was holding. It appeared to be a cigarette lighter. He recalled that his father had smoked for a while, but he pretended not to know what the object was. It wasn't as if they would believe him if he said he knew what it was! 

Skaara opened the lighter and created fire. Everyone gasped and shrank back from the flame. Then Nabeh dared to touch it, and unsurprisingly it burned him. 

The excitement over the lighter was forgotten when the boys realised that two of the strangers were standing outside the gate to the courtyard. One of them was O'Neill. The other one wasn't someone Noah recognised. As soon as O'Neill was alone, they opened the gate. Skaara took charge, as always. 

"I'm looking for Jackson, the guy who wears this jacket?" said O'Neill, waving the jacket at them. "He's got long hair, like..." 

He gestured as he spoke, and everyone in Skaara's group (even Noah) imitated him. 

"No, no, no," said O'Neill, getting annoyed, though apparently simultaneously finding them slightly amusing. "Wears glasses, so he can see? Guess the word 'dweeb' doesn't mean anything to you, does it?" He sighed, then continued, "I'm on planet X, looking for a dweeb who wears green fatigues, he wears this jacket, he's got long hair, it comes over his eyes, and..." he pretended to sneeze, "sneezes." 

Skaara realised that he meant Jackson. He started doing a chicken impression. Everyone else joined in too. This was fun! 

"Chicken, chicken, chicken man, you got it," said O'Neill. 

Before Noah could stop him, Skaara took the jacket to the adventurous mastadge and made him smell it. Noah doubted that the creature was capable of accurate detection, but perhaps the mastadge had probably already developed a liking for Jackson. Whatever the reason, he took off pretty quickly when the stall was opened. Noah ran after him, and so did everyone else. The difference was that the other young men were just having fun, whereas Noah wanted to make sure that he didn't lose the daft beast again. 

After a while the beast came to a standstill outside the room Noah had shown Sha'uri - the place full of hieroglyphs. She must have taken Jackson there. Skaara followed O'Neill inside, but Noah stayed with the mastadge. He could faintly hear them talking inside. It sounded like O'Neill was arguing with Jackson over his sudden ability to speak Ancient Egyptian. And then someone discovered the Stargate address for Earth, though the seventh symbol was worn away. 

Noah wondered whether he was supposed to tell them the symbol. He thought he'd better wait for a while, just in case that WASN'T what he was supposed to do. 

The next day, O'Neill decided to head back to the pyramid, to find out what had happened to the other soldiers. Now the storm was over there was no reason for them to stay in the city, though Jackson and Sha'uri had clearly developed a liking for each other. Skaara was adamant that the soldiers might need their help, and so asked Noah (and the others) to go with him to the pyramid. Although Noah didn't want to get into any trouble, he decided to go. 

Whenever Ra had landed, Noah and the rest of his family had stayed out of the way as much as possible. The Jaffa couldn't detect symbiotes, or naqahdah, but if he or Nephthys had been brought before Ra, Ra would have known what they were. So that was why he'd never seen Ra's ship up close. The black ship, speckled with lights, sat on top of the pyramid and loomed over the surrounding landscape. 

The soldiers advanced into the pyramid. Noah and the others raised Skaara up so that he could see into the pyramid through one of the windows. He gasped as he saw one of the Jaffa shoot his staff weapon. It didn't look like the soldiers were going to beat Ra's warriors. 

Retreating from the pyramid, the young men started to examine the collapsed tents by the ramp. Skaara was wary of the guns, but Noah insisted they take them, persuading the others that they were powerful weapons and he could make them work. 

They were forced to scatter as death gliders flew out of the ship. Frantically, they ran back to the city. They heard horns sounding in the distance, but by the time they arrived the attack was over. 

There were dead and injured people lying in the streets. Noah's first thought was to get to the house and make sure his mother was okay, but he waited as Skaara talked to his sister. 

"What happened here?" he asked. 

"Ra punished us," she said. 

"Why?" asked Skaara. 

"What happened to Daniel?" she asked, answering her own question in a way. 

They saw Kasuf amongst the desolation, and he looked like a desperate man. 

"Son," he said, "We should not have helped the strangers." 

Noah was filled with dread. So many people lay dying. He ran to his home, coming to a halt when he saw how little of the building was still standing. Slowly, he walked towards the wreckage, letting out a howl when he saw the limp arm of his mother beneath the fallen walls. He scrabbled at the rubble until he could drag her body clear, and cried as he saw how mangled her youthful body had become. 

He took her in his arms and carried her through the streets. There would be someone who could take her body and prepare it for burial. He would find someone. His house was destroyed - there was nowhere for him to go.


	7. Chapter 7

Skaara found Noah wandering the streets and asked him to accompany him. He was angry; he wanted revenge. His father would never risk the lives of his people in a futile attempt to overthrow Ra, but Skaara felt he could do something. 

Kasuf had organised a group of people to care for the bodies of the dead, and Nephthys hardly added to their burden. There would be much wailing within the walls of Nagada. Noah was loath to leave her, but Skaara insisted they had to act quickly. 

The news came that Ra was going to execute the soldiers, and Noah knew he had to go if only to see if he could help free them. The last promise he'd made to his mother was to protect O'Neill and Jackson, and now she was dead he was determined to protect them with all his might. 

Skaara gathered his usual bunch of followers and they travelled to the place where the hieroglyphs covered the walls. He thought Sha'uri would be there, and he had to tell her that her beloved Daniel was in danger. 

"Sha'uri," he said, "Ra has called an assembly. An execution." 

"Skaara, Nabeh," she said, calling the two forward, "I want you to listen. We can't let this happen. I want you to know what Daniel told me, about where our people came from. And why we can no longer live as slaves." 

Hanging back in the shadows, Noah listened as her voice told the story of Ra's arrival on Earth all those years ago, and his possession of the young, bold boy as his host. It was a story Noah knew already, along with many other Goa'uld histories, but Sha'uri told it with a compelling passion. 

That night they did not return to the city. Instead, they slept under the stars, and Noah showed them how to work the guns. They had a lot of preparation to do. Skaara didn't really have a plan, except to show the strangers they were there to help, but perhaps it would be enough. 

And so, when the people gathered before the pyramid, Skaara, Nabeh, Noah and the other boys were all there, with Sha'uri accompanying them. Ra greeted the crowd, then an Anubis headed Jaffa gave a staff weapon to Jackson, telling him to kill O'Neill and the other soldiers who were lined up on the ramp. 

As Jackson walked towards them, Skaara used the lighter to reflect light into his eyes. Jackson looked at Skaara, who revealed the gun hidden under his clothing. When Jackson activated the staff weapon, instead of killing O'Neill and the others, he span around and shot a bolt of energy at Ra. There was panic for a moment. Skaara and the others fired their guns, desperately trying not to hit any of the townspeople. Cloaks were thrown over the fugitives in order to disguise them, and everyone fled. 

Apart from one of the soldiers, who was killed in the chaos, they made it safely to the caves. 

"To our victory!" shouted Skaara, before telling O'Neill that they'd recovered the soldier's weapons. 

O'Neill didn't understand what Skaara said, of course. 

The survivors crowded into the space, sitting wherever they could. 

"What do you think?" Kawalsky asked, "They're not exactly Special Forces but they sure were eager to sign up." 

"Take these guns away from them Lieutenant, before they hurt themselves," said O'Neill, angrily. 

"Sir?" asked Kawalsky. 

"You heard me. Send them all home," said O'Neill. 

"There's no place for these kids to go. Anyway, we could sure use their help right now," said Kawalsky. 

"For what? Huh?" snapped O'Neill in desperation. "To do what?" 

There was silence for a moment. Even if most of the people in the cave couldn't understand English, they understood the tone of the discussion perfectly. 

"Why don't you just tell them? Why don't you tell them about the bomb," said Jackson. 

He looked tired, and he sounded bitter. O'Neill just looked confused. He'd known exactly what to do, but things had changed. 

"What's he talking about?" asked Kawalsky. 

"My orders were simple," said O'Neill. "Track down signs of any possible danger, if I found any blow up the Stargate. Well, I found some." 

Noah was shocked. He'd thought there was something different about this O'Neill, but he hadn't considered that this was how the man had started off in the SGC. He'd been sent here to die! He knew his father had always seen something darker in O'Neill, something that surfaced occasionally, but he'd healed a lot since this mission. And that was an understatement. 

"Well that bomb is his now, and tomorrow he's gonna send it back to Earth, along with a shipment of that mineral they mine here. And when that thing goes off, it's going to cause an explosion a hundred times more destructive than that bomb alone was capable of," said Jackson. 

"I'll intercept that bomb before he can send it through," snapped O'Neill. 

"Why wasn't I told this?" shouted Kawalsky. 

"Because there wasn't any reason to tell you, Kawalsky. You weren't even supposed to be here, you were all gonna go right back through with Daniel. I was gonna stay here alone and blow up the Stargate, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do," replied O'Neill. 

"It's the 'gate on Earth that poses a threat," countered Jackson, "THAT'S the one we have to shut down." 

"You're absolutely right," replied O'Neill, "But since you don't know how to get us back, we don't have that option, do we?" 

Angrily, O'Neill got up and left the main room, heading off to one of the side chambers. Jackson followed him, then left as Skaara entered with a drink to offer his unlikely hero. 

Jackson's return to the main chamber caused amusement. He was doing some of the chores, and the young men couldn't help but laugh. 

"Why are you laughing?" he asked. 

"Husbands don't do this work," said Nabeh. 

Jackson's face was a picture as he registered several different emotions in quick succession. Looking at Sha'uri, he got up and followed her into a side chamber. Briefly they talked, then Jackson kissed her. Nabeh seemed to be perfectly willing to stand and gawp at them, but Skaara drew a curtain across the doorway.


	8. Chapter 8

Noah considered his next move. It seemed that now would be a good time to tell them the seventh symbol, the point of origin. It would raise too many questions if he went up to them and (in fluent English) told them how to dial home. Almost without thinking, he drew the symbol in the dirt with his foot. 

Skaara walked back to the group and sat next to Noah. He looked at the symbol Noah had sketched on the floor. 

"The pyramid," he said. 

"Yes," said Noah. 

"You can write," said Skaara, "When this is over will you teach us?" 

"If Kasuf does not object," said Noah. 

"My father is too wise for his own good," grinned Skaara. 

"You could draw," suggested Noah. "The drawings in the secret room told the story as well as the hieroglyphs." 

They found some chalk, and Skaara set to work, drawing on the walls of the cave. Eventually Jackson emerged from the side chamber. He watched Skaara drawing. 

"What are you drawing?" he asked. 

"The day of our victory," said Skaara. 

Jackson suddenly had a brainwave. The picture Skaara was drawing was similar to the one Noah had sketched on the floor. Since he hadn't drawn before, afraid of the wrath of his father (or the gods), he lacked imagination. In the background was a pyramid, with three moons above it. 

"Connect the moons..." said Jackson, drawing on the wall with Skaara, "This is the symbol for this planet. That's it. The point of origin." 

Kawalsky walked over. He looked at the picture, and at Jackson and Skaara. 

"What are you doing?" he asked. 

"I've found it," said Jackson. 

"What are you talking about?" replied Kawalsky. 

"I've found it. The seventh symbol. We're going home!" exclaimed Jackson. 

A mood of euphoria spread through the cave's inhabitants. O'Neill decided that they'd return to the pyramid, sneak in, and send people back through the Stargate. Noah, as the only native who could understand the soldiers, wondered what was in it for Abydos. Thinking back to the promise he'd made his mother, he knew that his first priority was keeping O'Neill and Jackson safe. Still, the lack of native benefits was a major concern... 

They went to the mines, intending to join the caravan that would take naqahdah to the pyramid. Their plan faltered for a moment when one of the Horus Guards hit a worker with his staff weapon. O'Neill and the others reacted violently, shooting the surprised guard until he fell to the ground. Kasuf saw what they'd done and despaired. 

"You'll bring disaster to all of us, son," he said. 

"Father, we will not live as slaves!" said Skaara. 

Kasuf dragged those near him into a kneeling position, and all the workers joined him. They prayed to Ra, for his forgiveness. It was then that Jackson stepped in. 

"Kasuf," he said, "Take a look at your gods." 

He deactivated the Horus Guard's helmet, revealing a perfectly normal human underneath. 

The people looked at the Jaffa and realised that the gods were false gods. Perhaps they didn't need to spend their days mining a mineral that was no use to them. Perhaps things COULD be different. 

The people agreed to let O'Neill and the others take their place in the caravan. They disguised them with cloaks and hoods. Thinking that he had to be prepared for all eventualities, Noah examined the Guard's attire. When no-one was looking he took the device that was on the Jaffa's hand - he recognised it as the button that would activate the transport rings in the pyramid. The stolen Goa'uld item was well concealed under his sand coloured clothes, and although he didn't know why he'd taken it, he had the feeling it would be useful. 

Carrying the wooden sleds piled high with naqahdah, they walked to the pyramid. The first sled, the one that Noah was helping O'Neill and the others carry, was first into the building. The guards were suspicious. They began to throw back the hoods of the workers. 

"How ya doin', huh?" asked O'Neill, as he raised his gun and shot the nearest Jaffa. 

The men outside ran towards the pyramid, eager to join in the fight. One of the Jaffa fired a staff weapon outside as the door closed, sealing O'Neill, Jackson and Sha'uri and Noah into the pyramid. Whilst the confused fighting took place, Noah ran into the deepest part of the pyramid, to the Stargate's resting place. He activated the transport rings and travelled up into Ra's ship. 

Inside the ship, Noah was scared when he realised how at home he felt. This was the ship of a mighty Goa'uld. Noah was created to be a host for mighty warriors such as these. But then the Tok'ra part of him kicked in, and he thought the ship would probably make a very pretty explosion in the night sky. 

He ran further into the ship, looking for cover. He passed through the sarcophagus room, and crouched down behind some of the fittings, waiting to see if he could find out what was going on. He discovered that he could hear Ra and one of his Jaffa talking in a room further into the ship. 

"Send the bomb to Earth now!" said Ra. 

"I will send it myself," said the Jaffa. 

Noah watched as the Jaffa walked past him, back to the rings, and travelled down into the pyramid. He could only hope that O'Neill and Jackson had things under control down there. His hopes were shattered when he saw Jackson and Sha'uri travelling up to the ship, and Sha'uri was injured. She looked dead. Jackson cradled her in his arms. When he came to the sarcophagus he laid her into it, and stood watching as the lid closed. 

Noah realised, with horror, that at any moment Ra could come in and find Jackson and Sha'uri. He slowly got up and walked further into the ship. 

As Noah entered the throne room, Ra turned to look at him. The children gathered in his presence looked at him too, and Noah was afraid when he saw the cold look in their eyes. 

"Perhaps I should destroy this planet. You have all become far too insolent," he said. 

Noah tried to look brave. With the Tok'ra and Goa'uld knowledge inside him, he probably knew more about the System Lords than Ra. Of course, some of that knowledge was reliant on the future he knew about actually happening, but Noah had to have something positive to think about. 

"I am not of this planet," he replied. 

Ra advanced towards him, a pensive expression on his face. He raised his hand, and Noah saw the ribbon device on his hand. Ra lifted Noah's chin and looked into his eyes. Strangely, all Noah could think about was what the host was going through. For thousands of years had the host been compelled to do whatever Ra wanted. The thought of the evil that confronted him gave him strength. 

"Wherever you are from, you will die," said Ra. 

Ra held Noah's forehead in his hand, with the ribbon device pressing into his skull. It activated. The device was slightly different to the ones most Goa'uld used. It was more intricate. It worked slightly differently, too. Noah felt as if his head was vibrating, being filled with a white light, and the pain was intense. He concentrated really hard, and somehow the energy flowing into him fed back into Ra's hand. 

Crying out in pain, Ra snatched his hand away. Noah took satisfaction in Ra's obvious surprise. The feeling was short-lived. Ra heard something from the sarcophagus room - a noise as Jackson lifted Sha'uri out of the coffin - and he sighed. He fired the ribbon device at Noah and threw him across the room. He hit the wall heavily, and sagged onto the floor. The children looked at him curiously. 

Ra strode off. Noah groaned inwardly. Perhaps he had some special powers that enabled him to resist Ra, but it still hurt. He struggled to his feet and staggered after the evil Goa'uld. When he rounded the corner he found Ra at the transport rings, draining Jackson's brain with the ribbon device. 

"You will die together," he told Jackson, laughing.


	9. Chapter 9

Thankfully it was not time for Jackson to die. Someone in the pyramid activated the rings, and Jackson and Sha'uri were taken down to safety. Ra growled, and backed away from the transportation device. All of his plans were falling apart, and all because of some trespassers that came from a planet that had forgotten he'd ever ruled them! The indignity of it all disgusted him. 

He returned to his chamber, pausing only to grab Noah's clothes so as to drag him along. 

"Perhaps I will take you with me," said Ra. "I am sure there is much you can tell me." 

"Nothing I can tell you will help much," said Noah. "You'll be dead soon enough." 

"I am immortal," said Ra. 

"Like Hathor? Like Isis? Sokar? Seth? They will all die," said Noah. 

"They are nothing compared to me," said Ra. 

Noah could hear the sadness in his voice. Ra had fathered children with his queen, Hathor, and all they ever wanted to do was betray him. That was why he no longer had a queen. That was why his Jaffa no longer carried larvae. 

Perhaps Ra's death would cause the children to squabble even more, but they would be leaderless. The Tok'ra would pick them off one by one, and the SGC would blow up as many System Lords as they could lay their hands on. Something within Noah knew O'Neill and Jackson would manage to kill Ra, and the Tok'ra would be extremely annoyed that it hadn't been them who'd pulled it off. Noah smiled, suddenly experiencing a strong dislike of the Tok'ra. Things would change, that was for sure... 

Ra looked out of the window, seeing hordes of natives led by Kasuf pouring over the hill towards the pyramid. Sighing, he turned away and activated the ship's control console. Slowly the ship began to lift off from the pyramid. 

Waiting impatiently for the ship to reach orbit, Ra looked at Noah, who was still stubbornly refusing to show pain. 

"I AM immortal," said Ra, "And perhaps you will make this disaster worthwhile. Perhaps." 

Ra pointed his palm in Noah's direction, and fired the ribbon device once more. Noah hit the wall hard, and tried not to lose consciousness as Ra threw another energy pulse in his direction. He hoped he had done enough. He hoped O'Neill and Jackson were still alive. 

Then the transport rings began to activate. Thinking that his day couldn't get any worse, Ra approached the rings. As the travelling object materialised he saw that O'Neill's bomb had been sent up to the ship! The bomb that he'd planned on destroying Earth with was to be the weapon of his own destruction! 

Ra's eyes opened wide. Noah, his own eyes slowly closing for the last time, saw the bomb. Somehow he knew it meant he'd succeeded. Then it exploded. White heat, far more intense than that of the ribbon device, obliterated the ship in an instant. 

Down on the surface, people celebrated. Ra had been defeated. Jackson and Sha'uri kissed enthusiastically, and O'Neill shrugged, grinning. 

When the celebrations came to a close, the time came for the surviving soldiers to return home. The people Noah had promised his mother he would protect stood around the Stargate, the wormhole shimmering as it offered them a way home. 

"I always knew you'd get us back," said Ferretti to Jackson. 

"Yeah, right," said Jackson. 

"Thanks Daniel," said Kawalsky. 

Then it was O'Neill's turn. 

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he asked Jackson. 

"Yes, I'm sure," replied Jackson. 

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" asked O'Neill. 

"I'm gonna be alright," replied Jackson, looking at Sha'uri. "How about you?" 

"Yeah," said O'Neill, "Yeah." He laughed. "I think so." 

He sounded surprised at how good he felt. That said, he wasn't looking forward to explaining things to General West. 

"Tell Catherine this brought me luck," said Jackson, handing O'Neill the amulet. 

"I will," said O'Neill. "I'll be seeing you around, Dr Jackson." 

And he stepped through the Stargate. 

It was the end. 

Or perhaps it was just the beginning...


End file.
